


Nightmares

by petrichxr



Series: Mutual Hesitation & Silence [4]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-17
Updated: 2015-11-17
Packaged: 2018-05-02 01:48:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5229251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petrichxr/pseuds/petrichxr





	Nightmares

Nightmares were rather frequent.

They’d hit in the midst of the night when all was calm. Days would pass between. Sometimes they’d leave her whimpering while other times she woke up in a cold sweat. A few times she’d shot up with a scream tearing from her.

Tonight it was a screamer. Her voice echoes off the walls of his apartment. As his eyes crack open he saw her shoulders slump, chest heaving. The moonlight filtering in caught onto the sheen of sweat that covers her pale skin. Any other night he’d leave her be. But something seems off about this one. A usual nightmare didn’t leave her so shaky. The tremors in her limbs as she tries to calm down were only too noticeable.

A soft sigh pushes past his lips, long fingers reaching out to wrap gently around her wrist. Her head snaps up. Crystal hues focus on his face. She traces his features as the moon illuminates them. The hammering of her heart against her chest begins to calm the longer she looks at him. Until something in the back of her mind stirs.

Nausea begins to swirl in her stomach and he can see the sudden shift in her eyes. The way they suddenly look distant.

In a second he’s sitting up, the fingers still around her wrist tightening enough to pull her close. It loosens again as his free hand reaches up. Brushing her bangs from her face he allows his fingers to gently trace over her cheek before his large palm cups it. He meets her gaze then, seeing the question in her eyes. Then he’s leaning forward. His forehead presses against hers.

There is a moment he thinks she’ll pull away. But within a few seconds she sighs and relaxes into it. Her body slumps towards his. The evenness of his breathing brings her mind back to the moment. Whatever she was seeing in her nightmares was becoming something distant. Something that couldn’t actually touch her. It was odd how his presence helped this much. How it managed to bring her back to reality so quickly.

Inhale. Exhale. Through her nose and out her mouth.

His fingers shift from her wrist, sliding down into her own. She pauses a moment before lacing them together. A gentle squeeze is given from him to her and she feels the corner of her mouth lifting upwards slightly.

Another set of breaths.

Her eyes close as they sit there together. His thumb brushes the back of her hand, a gentle reminder that he is there to help. Her heartbeat begins to slow. The erratic thumping against her ribcage slowing to a steady rhythm that’s easier to handle. Swallowing the thick lump in her throat she shifts. Her forehead shifts against his enough that their noses brush. Their breath mingles in the shared space but there is no need to lean forward. No need to mold lips together. Just being so close is enough to make her lips turn into a small smile.

It’s barely noticeable but he sees it. The minute shift from stoic to warm. Not many were able to see that side of her.

Soon enough she sighs, the warmth of the breath washing over his own. She pulls her forehead away from his. Opening her eyes she looks into his. There is a silent thank you in them. A way to tell him how she appreciates his company in moments like this. He manages a small smile of his own. It’s shy in nature, like many of his smiles.

She lays back, head dropping against her pillow as her hair fans around her. He follows suit. Their fingers stay linked between them for a few minutes before she breaks the contact. He figures she’s going to roll over and try and get some sleep again. It’s a pleasant surprise when she shifts closer. Her head finds his chest, one arm draping over his midsection. A pause is given before he allows his arm to gently wrap around her waist in return. Her fingers clench around the fabric of his shirt briefly before the grip relaxes.

Fingers splayed across his chest she closes her eyes. Thankfully it doesn’t take her long to drift off. Her breathing evens out. In the quiet of the room he listens. His arm absently tightens around her for a moment before loosening. Exhaling a sigh through his nose he allows his own eyes to close. Before long he’s asleep himself, unaware that as he snoozes his free fingers find hers once again.


End file.
